Legends of the Land of Fire
by Elder Legend
Summary: A new arrival at Konoha opens up a new life for Uzumaki Naruto as he will become his first friend. How will he change Naruto's life as well as the rest of Konoha itself? Pairings will be determined as the fic progresses. NaruHina SasuSaku.
1. Chapter 1: New Arrivals

**(a/n: This is the first chapter of the introduction bundle to start off my new story. Enjoy!)**

**(Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Naruto is a copyright of Misashi Kishimoto.)  
**

**New Arrivals**

The morning light shown very brightly past the trees and through the window, causing small flickering beams of light to dance across the wooden floor of the old apartment as the trees swayed back and forth. Other than the birds chirping outside, all was silent...

"Ramen!" The young blonde haired boy jumped out of bed. He was quite short and he had deep blue eyes which gleamed with determination and energy. His hair was all over the place, but seemed to form some solid spikes. But perhaps his most revealing feature was the deep lines that were engraved onto his cheeks, three on each cheek. They almost seemed like they were whiskers.

The boy turned around to take a quick glance at his calendar, just to make sure what day that it was. There were "X" marks on each day leading to the tenth day of October, where there was a crude drawing of a bowl of ramen doodled into its square. The boy smiled widely in excitement. He then quickly dressed himself in his usual white shirt and long black pants and rushed out of the door.

---

As the boy started to see the Ichiraku ramen restaurant start to come into sight, a figure could be seen sitting on one of the chairs. Once the boy was arrived at the restaurant, the figure was now fully visible. It was a man in his early 20s. His hair was brown and tied up. He was wearing a standard green ninja vest that higher ranking ninjas were often seen wearing. But the feature that stood out most was the deep straight scar that went from one of his cheeks, crossed over his nose, and ended in his other cheek.

"Hey Iruka-sensei!" exclaimed the boy to the man sitting at the table.

"Ah! Naruto! You're finally here. I've been waiting for ten minutes."

"Ha ha, sorry, I woke up kinda late." Naruto grinned.

Iruka smiled, "Well, anyways, happy ninth birthday Naruto! Could we have two large bowls of miso ramen please?"

"Ok," Teuchi, the store owner, replied. He placed two warm bowls of ramen on the table not too much later.

"Itadakimasu!" both Naruto and Iruka said. As they ate, Iruka seemed to be a bit distracted. After slurping his bowl of ramen to the last drop with ease, Naruto turned to his sensei.

"Huh? What's wrong, Iruka-sensei?" Iruka turned to Naruto and smiled.

"Well, there's something I have to tell you." Naruto was puzzled, Iruka usually didn't have anything serious to tell him other than to keep training and improving himself. "Naruto, you know that your apartment is empty, right?"

"Yeah…" Naruto replied softly. Since he was small, no one seemed to like him. They only saw him as a threat, a sin, or a demon of sorts. They looked at him with eyes that showed no feeling or affection. Naruto thought that this might be because his parents died long ago from an unknown cause. Whatever the case was, the apartment that he stayed in was left abandoned just so that he could live there by himself, away from others.

Iruka frowned slightly to see Naruto like that, but quickly adjusted back to his normal mood. "Well, I have some great news, there will be a new person moving in with you!" Naruto looked up at his sensei with curiosity. _A new person? Who would want to live near me? Everyone hates me…_

"If you'd like to, I could take you to meet him. He is currently at the Hokage's office to sign in to the village." Iruka said cheerfully.

"Sure!" Naruto's face lit up. There would finally be someone living in his apartment with him.

---

Once Iruka and Naruto arrived outside the Hokage's office, they could here voices inside.

"So you two are the new arrivals?" said an old voice.

Iruka and Naruto stepped inside. "Good morning, Hokage-sama." Iruka bowed down graciously to the Third. "I just wanted to show Naruto the boy that would be staying with him in his apartment."

"Ah, Iruka, Naruto, you are just in time, I was just about to take him to meet you two." Naruto examined the boy closely. He seemed to be the same age as Naruto. His hair was jet black, cut into small spikes that covered half his forehead. The rest of his hair was smooth and evenly cut to look slightly like he was wearing a helmet, though there seemed to be a few strands of hair sticking up on the back corners of his head. He had a finely molded face; it was slender and showed endless courage and determination. His eyes were brown with small black pupils at their center. They gave him a happy look, yet his eyes also showed a small hint of sadness in them. He was wearing a black pair of shorts and a blue T-shirt with a menacing, green, serpent-like dragon decorated on the shirt that appeared to be rising in a spiral, but its head was facing forward. He was also clenching onto a brownish-red wooden sword with his right hand which looked like it was a katana, except it was bit to too short to be wielded with two hands. He had a red backpack on which is probably where he kept all his belongings in. His skin was also slightly tan, but slightly lighter than Iruka's skin.

"Hello," the boy said with little shyness in his voice.

"Well anyways, I'll leave you and Naruto to introduce yourselves to each other. Iruka, please take them back to their apartment," said the Third.

"Hai, Hokage-sama," Iruka said.

The Third shifted his eyes to the girl that was standing back at the corner of the room. "Please take her to her house, Izumo, Kotetsu."

"Hai, Hokage-sama," both Chunins said together. They then both walked out of the room along with the girl. Naruto leaned over to try to get a better look at the girl but all he could catch was that her skin was slightly tan like the boy and that her hair was black.

With that, the boy, Iruka, and Naruto left the office and headed to Naruto's apartment. As they strolled along the sun-beamed road, Iruka broke the silence. "So, I heard that you came from another part of the Land of Fire." He paused for a moment before continuing. "Actually, it just occurred to me, we never introduced ourselves! My name is Umino Iruka. I work at the Ninja Academy of Konoha and I'm also Naruto's sensei." He placed his hand on Naruto's head and playfully ruffled his hair. The blonde boy smiled widely at his sensei and then faced the dark-haired boy.

"My name is Uzumaki Naruto! Remember this name, for I am the future Hokage!" Naruto said, pointing a finger at the boy with much enthusiasm. He then put his hands behind head and laughed. The other boy took a look at him for a few seconds before replying.

"It's nice to meet you two," the boy said with a friendly smile, "My name is Kansou Ryu. I am from the temple in the southern part of the Land of Fire. The Sandaime has ordered me to come Konoha just recently"

"Ah, well, anyways, we're here," Iruka said. Surely enough, they were at Naruto's apartment. Ryu looked at it with amazement, even though it looked like it hadn't been cleaned in ages.

"Here, I'll show you to your room Ryu," Iruka said.

"Sure!" Ryu smiled. _At least I won't be alone,_ he thought. _Naruto seems to be quite a good person._

Ryu's room turned out to be on the highest floor of the apartment, right across from Naruto's room. Ryu opened the door and peeked in. Naruto was surprised. The room was very similar to his. It had a one person bed, a stove, a refrigerator, a bathroom, and a table in the center of it along with small chairs. The only difference was that there were cobwebs and dust covering the whole room.

"Well, it looks like it'll need some work…" Iruka said, putting one hand behind his neck nervously.

"That's alright, I guess it's my duty as a new citizen of Konoha to clean it myself," said Ryu.

"Suit yourself. I think I'll be going home now, see you two tomorrow!" Iruka said.

"Hai!" Naruto and Ryu said in unison. Iruka was about to jump off the apartment, but stopped.

"I almost forgot! Naruto, please wake Ryu up tomorrow and walk with him to the academy," Iruka said, "I will be taking the other girl so I can't take Ryu there myself."

"Hai, Iruka-sensei!" Naruto said, performing a small salute to Iruka. _It seems I'll no longer have to walk to the academy by myself anymore, _Naruto grinned to the very thought. _A real friend at last!_

**(a/n: There are two more chapters of the introduction bundle, so R&R)  
**


	2. Chapter 2: The New Generation

**(a/n: Here's chapter two of the introduction bundle for my new fic. Enjoy!)**

**(Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Naruto is a copyright of Misashi Kishimoto and has been for quite a while now.) **

**The New Generation**

"Oi! Ryu! Wake up!" yelled a familiar voice.

"Uuuuhhhh….." mumbled Ryu.

"Haha, if only you saw yourself right now!" Naruto laughed. He took another look around the room. It was sparkling with such intense lust that the rays that shined into the room from outside was nearly blinding. It was as if the apartment had just opened up for the first time.

"Wow, how long did you spend cleaning this room up?" Naruto asked. He was quite curious. He had never seen such a clean room in his life. Half of the reason was because his room was always a mess, with clothes sprawled all over the floor and cockroaches crawling in from every dusty corner imaginable.

"I dunno, longer than I thought it would take." Ryu wiped the drool off the side of his mouth and stood up. He yawned deeply. From the looks of it, it hadn't been too long since he dozed off.

"Well, anyways, you'd better get ready for your first day at the academy," Naruto said as he walked outside, "it'll start in about twenty minutes."

"Oh, that's nice…"

"CRAP! TWENTY MINUTES?!!!? I gotta get going, fast!" Ryu tossed his red backpack onto the bed and rushed into the bathroom to brush his teeth.

About five minutes later, Ryu was out the door. "That was fast," Naruto commented. He was standing outside with two steaming cups of ramen.

"I thought that you wouldn't have anything to eat, so I made you a cup."

"Oh, thanks! I'm starving!" Ryu haste fully took out a pair of shiny metal chopsticks. "Itadakimasu!"

"Huh, what are those?" Naruto looked at the chopsticks carefully.

"Oh, these? They're my chopsticks that I always use to eat," Ryu said with a mouthful of ramen. "My master gave them to me when I was little. He said that they brought luck to whoever ate with them." Ryu showed him the hilt of one of the chopsticks, showing the kanji for luck embedded deeply into the dense metal. Naruto closed his eyes in confusion.

"Er… nevermind."

About fifteen minutes later, they were at the academy. The voices of many children could be heard inside. It seems that they were late.

---

"Class, I would like to introduce you all to two new students that will be attending the academy." Iruka faced the two children to his right.

"Konichiwa!" most of the class said in unison.

"You may take your seats you two."

The small introduction was followed by a long lecture about how to throw a weapon. Most of the class was not paying any attention. One boy was dozing off. But his nap didn't last long, for in a split second, a piece of chalk was sent flying right at him, hitting square in the forward.

"Hey! Shikamaru! No sleeping in class!" said Iruka in a strict tone. The boy slowly lifted his head up.

"Sigh, how troublesome," he said sleepily. Iruka sighed in disappointment.

"Oh well, it looks like time's up anyways. No homework for today. You are all dismissed!" Iruka sat back down at his desk. Once he lifted his head up, the class was empty. _Those guys… I guess you can't keep kids in their seats these days._

But there was actually still one girl left standing right in front of him.

"Huh? Why haven't gone with the others to the playground?" asked Iruka. She shyly looked down at the floor.

"I guess I need to get to know them a bit more," she replied. Iruka stood up and put a hand on her shoulder.

"That's ok, I understand," he reassured her. "Here, if you'd like, I'll walk you back to your house."

---

A few minutes later, Naruto and Ryu met up and walked to the playground together. In fact, most of the kids from their class were already there. But it seemed like the two were invisible, for none of the kids paid any attention to them.

"Hey, Shikamaru! Chouji! Kiba!" Naruto said as he ran over to them.

"Huh? Oh, Naruto, how troublesome," sighed Shikamaru, shifting his head towards Naruto. Judging from his facial expression, he seemed like a very lazy person. His eyes showed no interest in, whatsoever, anything. But as Ryu examined them closer, he could see that he was a lot smarter than he looked. His hair was black and was styled into a topknot, like Iruka. He wore a grey shirt and white shorts.

"Heya Naruto!" greeted Chouji. He was quite large for his age, partially because he was a bit plumper than the other kids in his age group. His face was round and had swirls on his cheeks. His hair was light brown and messily stuck up in one direction. He wore a green long-sleeved shirt and white shorts. His eyes looked gentle and friendly, which, from the looks of it, was never noticed by others. Perhaps just the thought of his chubbiness left others to think that he was less superior to them. But Ryu could tell that he had a hidden potential within him, just waiting to be released.

"Hmph." Kiba looked away, uninterested in Naruto's company. Though he seemed uncaring, Ryu sensed that he was much more than what his appearance showed. He was wearing a white long-sleeved shirt and grey shorts that reached just before his knees. His hair was brown and was styled just like Naruto's, except it was slightly shorter. His face had two red marks in the shape of fangs drawn on him. His eyes were keen and contained small pupils, giving him a look slightly representing a dog.

Once Naruto and Ryu had reached the three, they could hear a large number of footsteps heading their way. As all five of them turned to see what was going on, a large chorus of voices shouted, "SASUKE-KUN!!!!!!!!!!!!" It was now evident what was happening, a group of just about every girl from their grade had gathered around something probably going by the name of Sasuke.

As the girls shouted and talked, two more girls walked by. One of them wore a blue shirt and dark green shorts. Her large emerald eyes revealed an intelligent girl. She was wearing a red ribbon which held some of her long, silky pink hair back, showing her forehead. The other girl wore an orange shirt and blue pants. Her bold face revealed a very confident personality. Her eyes were sky blue, complimenting her short, light blonde hair which reached just above her neck.

A slight blush could be seen forming on Naruto's cheeks as he stared at the girl with pink hair. "Hello Sakura-chan!" he greeted, giving a friendly wave to her. She turned her head and looked at Naruto with disgust before continuing with the girl beside to join the others.

"Huh? Sakura? What's wrong?" the girl beside her said.

"Oh nothing, Ino-chan," she replied back. "Just that Naruto kid saying something about me…" Her voice trailed off as the two blended into the crowd of girls. Naruto closed his eyes in disappointment and lowered his hand slowly. Ryu raised an eyebrow.

As Ryu pondered, he sensed a presence behind the tree not too far away from him. Without moving his head, he moved backwards and slowly approached the tree. Once his back was pressed comfortably against the trunk of the tree, he quickly shifted his position to see who was there. It turned out to be a small girl that also looked like she was the same age as he was. Her hair was very dark blue and was in a round shape around her head, along with two bangs that dropped down from both sides of her cheeks. Some of the hair on the back of her left and right side of her head was sticking out. She was wearing a long white shirt and long blue pants which seemed to hide her feminine figure. Her face revealed a very shy girl, which was also evident due to the fact that she was holding her hands close to her chest, fiddling with her index fingers. Her eyes were… Ryu shook his head, he thought that he was imagining things. But once he took a harder look, it was now evident that his eyes didn't lie. Her eyes were a beautiful lavender color, but they didn't contain any pupils.

She seemed to be distracted and was hiding from something. It was quite awkward that she was doing so, because every other girl in the park was crowded around Sasuke. Once she noticed Ryu, she snapped back into reality and recoiled a bit away from him.

"Gomen," she apologized. Ryu gave her a confused look. He didn't think she did anything wrong. Naruto then walked up to the tree. The girl saw him start to approach her and she started to blush a deep shade of red.

"N-n-naruto-k-kun…" she muttered in a small, inaudible voice. She started to stare at her fingers.

"Huh? Did you say something, Hinata?" Naruto said casually. Instead of replying, she looked up at him, and then back down at her fingers. Naruto closed his eyes in confusion.

"Umm… gomen, N-n-naruto-k-kun… I-I have to go now." Hinata was now blushing a very furious shade red. She turned to leave the two boys, still fiddling with her fingers.

"Hinata-chan?"

_D-did, did Naruto-kun just call me Hinata-chan?_ The shy girl turned around again, but found out that the other boy called her name.

Ryu looked at her for a few moments, and then said, "Well, I'll see you around Hinata-chan. Oh yeah, my name's Ryu." He smiled and waved at her.

"Yeah!" Naruto also said and waved at her. She smiled back and cheerfully ran off into the distance to meet her father.

---

The sun was starting to set into the horizon. The large group of girls had already dissolved and left the playground in a silent state. Not much longer, Shikamaru and Chouji's dads came to pick their sons up, as well as Kiba's mom. The three then walked home quietly, leaving Ryu and Naruto to be the last ones in the playground. Naruto stared at them leave the playground. His eyes were slightly closed and his mind was lost in anxious thoughts. _Parents… I wonder what it's like to have them…_

"Yo, Naruto, we should get going back to the apartment," Ryu said, breaking Naruto's thoughts.

"Heh, yeah, I guess so." They left the playground and started down the red shaded road. Right before the street leading to their apartment was a hill that slowly lead down to a small lake. The water gleamed with the colors of the horizon, sparkling and flashing here and there. A boy could also be seen down at the lake, looking staring down at the water, deep in thought. He was wearing a long, black shirt and white shorts. On the back of his shirt was a round, fan-shaped symbol, probably representing his clan. His hair was black and shaped like the back feathers of a chicken, pointing from the back of his head in a few spikes. His forehead was mostly covered by his hair and was followed by two large bangs falling along the outsides of his cheeks. His face was very finely molded and his eyes were pitch black. Besides his handsome features, his faced showed a very intelligent boy, yet his eyes were filled with sadness and void of happiness.

"Who's that?" asked Ryu, pointing at the boy below.

"His name's Sasuke," Naruto said in what seemed like a jealous tone.

_So he's the guy who was surrounded by girls. It must be his looks, _Ryu thought. Naruto looked back at him as they continued down the dirt road. Sasuke noticed them passing by and made eye contact with Naruto. Noticing that he looked back, Naruto turned his head away from Sasuke and pouted. Sasuke also looked away in annoyance. But they both formed a small smile once they both looked away. Ryu didn't seem to notice because he was now fiddling with his metal chopsticks, spinning them around smoothly in between his well-coordinated fingers.

---

The sun had finally set behind the Hokage mountains by the time the two reached the apartment. The stars started to flicker, lighting up the night sky. Before retreating to their rooms, Ryu walked over to the balcony and stared up at the stars. Naruto walked up to him and stood next to him, deciding to look up at the stars as well.

"Konoha has quite a beautiful night sky," commented Ryu as he rested his arms onto the rusted railings.

"Mm," Naruto nodded. He looked over at Ryu and scanned his eyes. They glistened with the shine of the stars, lighting up his bright face. Naruto expected his eyes to contain fear and hatred, just like many of the other people in Konoha.

"Ryu… I have a question that I'd like to ask."

"Hm?"

"How come you are just like Iruka-sensei? Most people in this village down upon like a monster. In fact, I sometimes think that I actually am a monster," Naruto lowered his head a stared at the floor, covering his face with the shadow of his blonde hair. "Yet, your eyes don't contain that hatred. In fact, your eyes show the kindness that Iruka-sensei looks upon me with."

"Why would you think that I'd hate you like the other people of Konoha?" Ryu smiled. "I don't see a monster in you. In fact, I, instead, see a determined boy whose dream is to become Hokage!" Naruto looked at him in surprise. No had ever spoken to him like that before.

"When I lived in the temple, my master told me that there were many types of people out there in this vast world. Some of them are good, and others are bad or selfish. He told me never to label someone just because of their looks, personalities, or reputation until you get to know the person better. You never know…" Ryu looked back up at the stars, which now illuminated the entire sky, "A person like you could hold many great qualities." Naruto now seemed reassured. He closed his eyes cheerfully and showed his classic smile, giggling slightly along with it.

"Thanks Ryu! You're right; many people in this village don't know who I really am." Naruto punched his fist up and held it out in front of the balcony, showing it to all of Konoha. "I will get the people of Konoha to recognize my existence! I am Uzumaki Naruto, don't forget that name, for I am the future Hokage!" Ryu grinned.

_Though it is obvious that no one heard, he seems to be very determined with accomplishing his goal. _Ryu looked back up at the night sky. _Master, you were right, there are places in this world that share an everlasting peace, and I think that I have found one of them! It is Konoha._

**(a/n: Well, there's chapter two. One more chapter to go, so R&R)  
**


	3. Chapter 3: Why he was Hated

**(a/n: Well, here's chapter three of the introduction bundle to start off my new fic. Enjoy!) **

**(Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, which is kinda obvious since I am writing a fanfic about it. Naruto is a copyright of Misashi Kishimoto)  
**

**Why he was Hated**

"NARUTO!!!!!!!" Naruto just laughed as he was pursued by the two ninjas. "Just wait until we get our hands on you!"

"Ha! I'd like to see you try!" Naruto turned around and stuck a tongue back at them. It had been three long years since he met Ryu. His features didn't seem to have changed very much. He still had the old mischievous grin and determined cerulean eyes. He now wore a matching pair of orange colored pants and jacket, with the shoulder part of the jacket being colored dark blue. Under it he wore a blank black shirt. He was also wearing a pair of goggles, which he wore over his forehead like it was a headband.

"Hokage-sama! We have trouble!" said a ninja with much urgency. The Third sighed at hearing those words.

"What has Naruto done now?" he asked dully.

"He has vandalized the heads of the Hokages at the mountain!"

"Calm down, I'm sure that once he comes to class, Iruka will set him straight," the Third said, uninterested in the current situation.

_This is the tenth time he has pulled a prank on us this month. _Sarutobi sighed.

Meanwhile, the two ninjas had chased Naruto to an alley. Naruto swiftly landed on the soft dirt road and jumped again onto the buildings nearby, followed by the ninjas. But little did they know that Naruto had blended into the fence that they had just passed using a camouflage cloak to conceal himself. He laughed at their idiocy, but felt a hand on his shoulder not much later.

"Naruto, why aren't you in class?" Iruka said sternly. Naruto felt a sweat drop down his head.

"I…er…uh…hehe…" said Naruto with a nervous tone. Iruka sighed.  
--- 

"Since Naruto was late to class," Iruka said once he had gotten Naruto back to the academy, "you all will be performing **Henge no jutsu (Transformation Technique)** for me." A chorus of complaints and sighs followed.

"Naruto…," sighed Shikamaru as the class got in line.

"This is all your fault," complained Ino next to Shikamaru.

"Yeah, like I care," Naruto scoffed with his hands on his hips as he went in front of the two. Sakura was up first. She still wore the red ribbon from three years ago, but her hair had grown much longer, reaching down to her hips. She now wore a red dress with a white circle decorated on back and front of it. It had a white outlining and the sides of it were tucked into her brown pants, much like a normal T-shirt.

"Henge!" she shouted, putting her hands together to form a seal. A puff of smoke followed. Once it cleared, Iruka was standing there. But his eyes were a little off and he was a little too skinny.

"Not bad," said Iruka, checking off something on his clipboard. "Next!" Sakura returned to her normal form with her hands together against her chest.

"Did you see that Sasuke-kun?" she asked the boy behind her with much excitement. He seemed uninterested and stepped forward.

"Henge!" he shouted, again disappearing in a puff of smoke, to be replaced with another Iruka. This one was much different than Sakura's version, being nearly identical to the real Iruka.

"Very good, as always Sasuke," Iruka said checking off another item on his clipboard. "Next!" Sasuke returned to his normal form with his hands rested inside his pockets. He hadn't changed much during the three short years either, but now wore a pair of white shorts and a navy blue t-shirt with the Uchiha symbol decorated on the back.

Naruto stepped up in anticipation; he couldn't wait to show the class his skills. A girl could be seen from the back of the line, pushing her index fingers together shyly. She was blushing, but no one seemed to notice. _Naruto-kun, do your best!_

"Henge!" Naruto shouted, disappearing in a puff of smoke. But unlike Sasuke and Sakura, he was replaced with a very hot and nude girl whose private areas were barely covered by a thick, white smoke. She had her hair styled into two ponytails and had the whisker-like lines embedded into her cheeks, like Naruto. She blew a kiss to Iruka, causing him to fall over with a bleeding nose. Naruto then returned to his normal form, laughing at his sensei.

"Haha, you fell for it! I call it, **Oiroke no jutsu (Sexy Technique)**!" Iruka immediately stood up.

"DON'T COME UP WITH SUCH A USELESS TECHNIQUE!!!" shouted Iruka at the top of his lungs, causing Naruto's hair to be blown back.

---

Like the Third predicted, Naruto was sent to clean up the vandalized faces of the four Hokages after class with Iruka supervising him.

"Naruto, why did you paint on the Hokages faces?" Iruka said, looking down at his student. "You must remember that they are known as the strongest ninjas of Konoha and they protect this village with their lives."

"So what?" snapped Naruto in an impolite tone. "I will become stronger than all of the Hokages one day! Then everyone in Konoha will know the name Uzumaki Naruto!" Iruka frowned, Naruto wasn't understanding what he told him. A boy started to approach the sensei and his student right after Naruto announced his reason. He was around Naruto's age and had jet black hair. His skin was slightly tan like Iruka and he wore a black coat that reached down a little beyond his waist. He wore it unzipped and hanging over his long, loose navy blue pants. Under it he wore a plain black shirt, much like Naruto.

"Huh? Oh, hey Ryu!" Naruto said turning around, just noticing that he stopped by.

"Heh, I knew you'd be here after all the commotion this morning," Ryu smirked. Naruto looked away from him and pouted, but continued to scrub the paint off the faces.

"It's a good thing that you stopped by, Ryu," greeted Iruka. He then placed his fingers under his chin as if he was locked in deep thought. "Say, if you both help clean the Hokages, how about I take you both to Ichiraku's?" Both of their faces lit up with glee.

"Yosh!" they both chimed together. Ryu jumped next to Naruto, grabbed a towel, and they both started to clean vigorously.

---

"Here you go," said Teuchi, the owner of Ichiraku Ramen.

"Itadakimasu!" the three said in unison before devouring their bowls of ramen, fresh from the stove. Iruka slurped in some of the noodles and looked at the other two.

"So, you two know that the last retakes of the Genin tests are tomorrow, right?" he asked them.

"Of course!" Naruto said after drowning his bowl. He was very excited. Once he became a ninja, he would be one step closer to becoming Hokage! Though, not to much of anyone's surprise, he had failed the first two tests. Ryu nodded and continued to eat his ramen. Ryu had also failed the first two tests, partly because he felt sorry for Naruto and didn't want to let him down.

"Say, Iruka-sensei," Naruto put his hands together as if he was begging. "Can I please try on your headband?"

"Oh this?" Iruka placed his hand on his headband and smiled. He felt the cold steel plate on the tips of his fingers. In the center of the plate was an engraving of the symbol of Konoha, a leaf. "This headband signifies that you are a full-fledged Konoha ninja. You will be getting yours tomorrow if you pass the test, so you will have to wait until that time comes."

"Oh come on, please?"

"No," Iruka replied back playfully.

"Fine! I want another bowl!" Naruto retaliated.

"What!?" exclaimed Iruka. Ryu laughed at the two. They both seemed so close. Almost to the extent that Iruka was Naruto's dad.

---

Naruto stood in line before Ryu, waiting for his name to be called. It was the day for the last tests and Naruto felt that he was prepared to pass, no matter how hard it was.

"Uzumaki Naruto!" Naruto heard the voice of his sensei echo from the room in front of him. Naruto slowly opened the door and closed it behind him.

"Ok, Naruto, for the last test, please perform the **Bunshin no Jutsu (Replication Technique)** for me." Naruto felt a small shock shoot up his spine.

_Crap! The **Bunshin no Jutsu!? **That's my worst technique!_ Naruto glanced over to Iruka's gentle eyes, waiting for him to show how well he could perform the technique. _No, I can't fail now! I will become Hokage! I will show Iruka that I am an excellent student!_ With that, he placed hands together and formed a seal. Blue energies began to surround him, jumping up and down as well as circling around his feet.

"Ha!" The area beside him clouded in smoke, to reveal a very sad replication of Naruto playing dead on the floor. Iruka felt a sweatdrop from behind his neck, but then sighed. It was Naruto's last chance to become a ninja, and he blew it.

"I'm sorry Naruto, but you fail." The words hit Naruto like a boulder. He felt like the world was beginning to collapse on him.

"Wait Iruka, Naruto **was** able to replicate after all. He also showed quite a good amount of stamina," said Mizuki, the other sensei that was observing Naruto. Naruto's eyes lit up, perhaps there was hope for him after all.

"I'm sorry, but Naruto did not meet the requirements to pass," Iruka said gloomily. He lifted his head to see how Naruto had reacted, but it was too late. He had run out of the classroom, perhaps to escape from the shame that he had created.

---

Hinata sighed with relief as she left the academy doors and blended into the crowd of newly promoted Genins outside. She wore the headband that she had recently earned around her neck rather than her forehead like the other ninjas did. Other than growing a few inches, not much has changed about her. She still had the shy face that would heavily blush on many occasions. She wore a light beige hooded coat that was decorated with white fur on its bottom side. A yellow circle that contained a swirling red fire was also decorated onto her sleeves, perhaps representing her clan's symbol.

She now had one thing on her mind: to see if Naruto had passed the test. Her father wasn't able to attend her graduation, not that it mattered, so she could come home anytime before midnight. Her eyes scanned through the crowd. She couldn't find him anywhere.

_Per-perhaps he didn't pass?_ She couldn't bear to think about it. But then she noticed a familiar head of blonde hair in the distance. Naruto was sitting on a swing, away from the crowd of graduates. The shadow of his messy hair covered his face and he was staring down at the ground, lost in thought.

"Did you hear? He was the only one that didn't pass," a girl whispered to another one next to her.

"Hmph, serves him right," scoffed the other one. "Besides if he did pass, it would only lead to trouble, considering all the pranks that he's pulled over the past months." Hinata's heart dropped. She knew that somehow she would be wrong.

"Oi, Hinata-chan, how did you do on the test?" Ryu approached the shy kunoichi waving his hand in the air. He was wearing his headband around his waist, the steel plate reflecting the brilliant sunlight from above. "I barely passed," he added, putting his hands behind his head nervously. Hinata didn't respond. He raised an eyebrow.

"Well, anyways, have you seen Naruto?" Ryu said, trying to change the subject. Hinata looked away from him, on the verge of tears. Ryu then noticed Naruto and wished that he hadn't asked.

"Hey, how about you and me go and cheer him up? I'm sure he'll feel a lot better." Hinata looked up at him and nodded, though it looked like she was slightly holding back. They both walked up to Naruto. He noticed them and looked up.

"Oh, hey Ryu, er…Hinata" Naruto tried to sound cheerful. Hinata sensed the sadness in his voice and attempted to cheer him up.

"Umm… Naruto-kun, I believe that, um, you are a g-great ninja, even if you didn't pass the test…" she managed to say while she continued to stare and play with her index fingers. Naruto was too depressed to notice her compliment. After a while, he looked up at Hinata once again.

"Did you say something?" Hinata blushed and she looked away, trying to avert the intense gaze of his azure eyes. Ryu, on the other hand, was speechless. Naruto had always told him how much he wanted to become Hokage. But yet, here he was now, barely holding on to his distant dream. But Ryu had to agree, his determination was extraordinary.

Footsteps could be heard approaching the three. It was Mizuki. His light blue hair waved in the wind as he calmly strode over. All three of the students turned around to identify the figure.

"Listen Iruka." The Third and Iruka were behind the crowd, watching Mizuki take the kids to an unknown destination. "You must understand that Naruto has lived a childhood without parents. The citizens of this village have never looked upon him like a normal human being. Rather, they have shunned him like a monster and ignored him. That is why he pulls pranks and all sorts of other ridiculous things so that the others around him would recognize the value of his existence."

---

The sun was starting to set as Mizuki had taken Naruto, Hinata, and Ryu onto a rooftop of a building on the other side of Konoha. They all sat there in silence for a while, enjoying the beautiful view of the village from above. Hinata often took a glance at Naruto for a few seconds, and then looked away, blushing and continued to play with her index fingers. After the long, awkward silence, Mizuki faced Naruto. "Please don't hate Iruka, he was just doing what he was supposed to do." Naruto sighed and faced Mizuki.

"But… I wanted to become a ninja…" He touched his plastic goggles and wished that he felt a cold steel plate in its place. Hinata's blushing face turned into a worried one. She pressed her right hand against her chest in anxiety.

_I wish I could cheer Naruto-kun up… _ Hinata couldn't stand to seem him like this. It gave her an empty, unidentifiable feeling in her stomach. It was as if… Mizuki looked at Naruto and smirked.

"You know what? I do know another way that you could become a ninja…" Naruto's eyes widened as he heard those words. Ryu raised an eyebrow. "In fact, it requires the help of two other comrades. I'm sure that your friends would love to help!" Naruto looked over to Ryu and Hinata. Hinata gave him a quick nod in surprise. Ryu closed his eyes in agreement.

---

Iruka was in his bed reflecting the Third's words. They echoed inside his head over and over again as he remembered the night when the Kyuubi attacked Konoha twelve years ago. It was a very shocking event for him. His parents died defending the village. From then on, no one noticed him anymore. He recalled becoming the class clown so he could earn the attention of others, much like Naruto. Just as he was beginning to fall asleep, he heard a knock on his door.

"Iruka! Some terrible has happened!" It was Mizuki. "It's Naruto, he has stolen the Scroll of Sealing!"

"WHAT!?" Iruka knew that Naruto pulled pranks in order to get the attention of the villagers, but this was going way too far.

Outside of the Hokage's office, many of the academy instructors as well as a large mixture of other ranking ninjas had gathered to try to sort out the problem.

"This is going too far!" shouted one of the ninjas at the Third.

"Yes! Stealing the Scroll of Sealing can't be treated like a normal prank!" added another one. The Third sighed, he understood the importance of the scroll just as well as the others around him.

"I understand that the Scroll of Sealing is a legendary item that the First wrote himself, but a mere kid cannot be able to fully comprehend the most dangerous jutsus inside, even if he does have two friends alongside him," the Third said. One thing that he didn't understand was why Naruto would want the Scroll of Sealing in the first place. But whether or not his intentions were bent to the wrong light or not, he didn't want any of the ninjas to kill Naruto until he was interrogated. "Bring Naruto back to me, alive!" With that, he waved his hand in the air, causing all the ninjas to split up.

---

Iruka landed on a building high above Konoha and scanned the village below. "Damn it Naruto, where are you?"

Mizuki rushed down an alley. But unlike Iruka, he wasn't worried, his face showed a different emotion. He grinned wickedly. _Though I didn't expect the fox boy to have friends, that doesn't matter. I'll kill all three of them before the others discover where they are, and then I'll take the scroll and leave this damned village!_

_--- _

Meanwhile, in a forested area on the outskirts of Konoha, Naruto, Ryu, and Hinata had settled down to examine the scroll. Naruto opened the scroll and examined the first technique.

"Ok, the first technique is… **Kage Bunshin no jutsu (Shadow Replication Technique)**? Aw!" he complained, scratching the back of his head. "I'm not good at bunshins!" Hinata giggled softly. Ryu, on the other hand, though very interested in learning the high level technique, but was also skeptical about the idea of stealing the scroll and helping Naruto become a ninja by using the Scroll of Sealing. Something just didn't seem right…

---

After about an hour of practice, Ryu and Hinata were completely exhausted. Naruto was still full of energy though. _Hehe, that technique wasn't that bad after all. I managed to be able to summon two replications. _Naruto smiled at his accomplishment. Ryu had managed to barely summon one, and Hinata had made no progress at all whatsoever.

"Well, anyways, I'm going to look around," Naruto told the other two.

"Ok, we'll rest up a bit here, and we'll catch up with you later," Ryu responded. After Hinata nodded shyly in agreement, Naruto strapped the large scroll onto his back and looked around. As he was studying an abandoned shed not too faraway, he felt a light weight on his shoulders. He turned around to find very pissed off Iruka.

"N-a-r-u-t-o…" he said very slowly in an angry voice. Naruto didn't seem to understand why he was acting that way and smiled.

"Looks like I was found," Naruto said putting his hand behind his neck. "Hey, Iruka-sensei! If I show the technique I just learned, will you let me become a ninja?" Iruka raised an eyebrow. He was surprised to see that Naruto had hidden in a secluded area just to train.

"Naruto, who told you that?"

"Mizuki-sensei! He also told me about this place and the scroll, too!" Iruka's eyes widened in disbelief. Mizuki? Of all people, he could not imagine why Mizuki would want the Scroll of Sealing and, more importantly, would drag Naruto into the crime.

"Where are the two others that are with you?" Iruka was getting concerned.

"Huh? Oh, you mean Hinata and Ryu? They're taking a rest in the woods back there…" Naruto froze at mid-sentence. Something, no, many things were flying straight towards. Perhaps, too fast to dodge.

_Crap! _Iruka acted just at the right moment, pushing Naruto out of harm's way and taking the blow from the kunai himself. He shifted his gaze to a dark figure standing firmly on a tree from above.

"I'm surprised, Iruka, that you found out about this place," the dark figure said.

"Mizuki," Iruka could not believe what he saw. "Why Mizuki? Why…" Mizuki scoffed, and faced Naruto.

"Naruto, hand over the scroll."

---

"Did you hear that, Hinata-chan?" Ryu stood up and scanned the area around him. There was no one about. Hinata looked up at him after catching her breath.

"Y-yes, but there doesn't seem to be anyone in this area, except us and Naruto-kun…" Hinata now realized the situation.

"Crap, something must have happened to him!" Ryu started to panic. He knew that something was bound to happen to them if they stayed in the area for too long. He quickly grabbed Hinata's arm and started running in the direction of the noise.

_Naruto-kun… Please be safe…_ Hinata had never known what true danger was before in her entire life. She only recalled one incident long ago, but it was very unclear in her mind. One part of her wanted to stay away, but the other wanted to help, in fear that Naruto would die. All she could do now was wait until they found out what caused the noise.

---

"Ano sa, what's going on here?"

"Naruto, don't listen to him!" Naruto looked at Iruka, then at Mizuki. He didn't understand what was going on. "That scroll has many forbidden techniques! Mizuki used you to get the scroll for himself." Mizuki laughed.

"Fine, I'll tell you the truth Naruto." Iruka's eyes widened.

"Don't Mizuki!" Mizuki ignored Iruka and continued.

"A rule was created after an incident that occurred twelve years ago."

"A rule?" Naruto was getting curious. What rule? Did it have to do with him?

"The rule not to say that you are a demon fox!" The sudden information stunned Naruto. He was a demon fox? Mizuki laughed and continued, "In other words, you are the Kyuubi that killed Iruka's parents and destroyed Konoha!"

Naruto felt the anger inside start to build up. So that was the reason why the village hated him. No one ever recognized him because he was the very demon that threatened Konoha many years. But the fact that it wasn't his fault and he had never known until now was what angered him even more. "Damn it!" He began to mold his chakra. He could no longer take anymore of the information.

Mizuki untied one of the large shurikens from his back. He started to spin it, increasing its speed with every passing second. "Now die Naruto!" Mizuki released the shuriken from his hand, sending is flying towards Naruto, who had just began to notice and started to crawl away in desperation.

_Recognize the value of his existence. _The words of the Third echoed once more in Iruka's head, giving him the strength to move. "Naruto! Duck!" Naruto ducked in panic and began to quiver in fear. Was it the end for him? A large noise of metal piercing through flesh followed. Except, Naruto felt no pain. He wondered why and looked up to see that Iruka had shielded him from the shuriken by taking the blow himself. The blow was very fatal though, causing Iruka to cough up a sizable amount of blood slightly landed on Naruto's cheek.

"W-why?" Naruto couldn't believe that Iruka had saved him.

"Because, you're the same as me," Iruka's eyes began to swell up and water. "When my parents died, no one recognized me either. I was left alone and uncared for, like the world hated me. It was lonely, wasn't it, Naruto?" Naruto continued to stare at him in disbelief.

"Naruto! Iruka-sensei!" Ryu and Hinata had just arrived to see Iruka protect Naruto. "Are you ok?" Before any of them could try to help, Naruto had bolted deeper into the forest and out of sight.

"Naruto!" Iruka called out to his student but he didn't receive a reply.

"Naruto isn't the kind of person to change his mind," Mizuki said as he jumped down from the tree. "With the scroll, he is going to take revenge on the village." Ryu and Hinata watched in disbelief. What was going on? Why was Naruto going to try to harm the village?

"Naruto isn't that kind of person!" Iruka dislodged the shuriken from his back and attempted to throw at Mizuki, who dodged it to leave it flying up into the moonlit night.

"I'll deal with you two and Iruka once I have gotten the scroll from Naruto," Mizuki said as he faced the two newly graduated ninjas. "Don't bother trying to go back to the village for aid, I'll be long gone by then." With that he jumped away.

"Ryu, Hinata, what Mizuki said was true. I understand that you both don't know what is going on, but please try to find Naruto. Going back to the village will not solve this problem." Iruka regained his footing.

"But…what are you going to do, Iruka-sensei?" Hinata asked, putting both hands together and against her chest. "Even if we do find Naruto-kun, Mizuki will also find us, then…"

"I can still move," Iruka gave an assuring smile to his students. "I'll take care of Mizuki. You two just do your best to get Naruto back to the village." He then jumped away, leaving the two ninjas alone.

"I guess it's no use just standing here, let's go Hinata-chan!" Ryu started to run in Naruto's direction.

_Naruto-kun…_ She hesitated for a moment, but then decided to follow Ryu.

---

_Where are you, Naruto?_ Mizuki scanned the forest as he leapt from branch to branch with ease. His speed was considerably faster than Naruto's, giving him the upper hand in the situation. As he continued to scan the forest, a figure was quickly catching up with him. Before he could look behind him, he felt a powerful blow to his spine, sending him crashing into the grassy floor below.

Mizuki stood up and looked behind him to see who it was. Iruka was sitting against the trunk of a tree, extremely exhausted. "How? You shouldn't be able to move with your injury." Iruka grinned at him. Mizuki scoffed.

"You're a persistent one. Why protect the kid who killed your parents?"

"I'm no going to let an idiot like you have the scroll." Iruka was breathing heavily. He was at his limit.

Not too far away behind another of the many trees in the area, Naruto was resting and hugging the scroll in his arms, listening to the two instructors.

"You're the idiot." Iruka looked up at him. "Naruto is the same as me. There is no way a demon fox like him would not use the scroll."

"You're right," Iruka replied. Naruto was shocked.

_I knew it. Iruka-sensei didn't recognize me inside all along._ Naruto felt destroyed. Iruka was the one of the three people he looked up to most.

"If he was a demon fox," Iruka added not too much later. _What?_ "But Naruto is different. He's an excellent student that I recognize. He's hardworking, clumsy, and no one recognizes him for who he is. But he understands the pain of others, even if they don't understand his. He isn't a demon, he is Uzumaki Naruto of Konoha!" Naruto began to shed tears and had a runny nose. _So he did understand all along._ Just then, Ryu and Hinata had arrived beside Naruto.

"Phew, we finally found you," said Ryu as he was catching his breath. Hinata was exhausted as well.

"Are you, um, ok, Naruto-kun?" she asked him un a gentle voice. Before he could reply, Mizuki had taken out his last giant shuriken.

"Iruka, I said that I'd kill you later, but I take that back." Mizuki began to spin the shuriken. "Now die!" He ran towards Iruka with the shuriken at his side, getting ready to turn him into a bloody corpse.

_I guess this is the end._ Iruka closed his eyes and awaited the inevitable. But it never came. Confused, he opened his eyes to see what happened. Ryu had jumped in the way just in time, kneeing Mizuki to send him flying backwards while the shuriken flew up and out of sight.

"I saved you just in time huh, Iruka-sensei?" Ryu looked back at his sensei and grinned. Iruka returned a smile to him. Hinata then stepped out also and got into a unique stance, placing both arms in front of her each open in a palm position.

_I must try to protect Naruto-kun!_ Just then Naruto appeared beside her, causing her to blush a deep red and recoil out of her stance.

"Don't lay a finger on Iruka-sensei," Naruto's words were cruel and serious. "If you do… I'll kill you!" His face started to turn fox-like in appearance, but the two ninjas beside him didn't notice, still focused on Mizuki as he began to rise from the ground.

"I'd like to see you try!" He leapt towards Naruto with blinding speed. As his fist was about to collide with Naruto's face, he felt a palm press into his stomach, again sending him back to the ground. Hinata had brought up enough strength to hit him, even with Naruto closely beside her. She then collapsed to the ground due to exhaustion and panic.

"What you said before," Naruto said as he began to calm down, "I'll show a thousand times more than what you'll be able to take!" He put his hands together. In a quick fluid motion, he shifted the position of his hands to form a seal in the shape of a plus. "**Kage Bunshin no jutsu (Shadow Replication Technique)!**" Naruto disappeared in a dense mist. Once it cleared, Mizuki fell to floor in shock.

_What the hell just happened? Why are there so many… Naruto's? _He could not believe his eyes. Now surrounding him was an endless see of orange and yellow. Some were perched up on the branches of the trees above, while the others were standing on the ground, passing comments and taunts at the poor man in the middle of it all. Ryu, Hinata, and Iruka stared in amazement.

_Amazing! Naruto was able to summon solid clones rather than mere tricks of light! What a guy. Perhaps he **does** have the potential to surpass the Hokages. _Iruka grinned at his student and grew less tense.

Hinata stared in amazement at her crush. Ryu lowered his fighting stance put his hands back into his pockets. _Well, Naruto should be able to end this quickly. _Ryu smiled and laughed a little to himself.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"Are you scared?"

"Get up Mizuki-sensei!" The taunts continued pound onto him. He couldn't believe it, the fox boy, **scaring** him. What had happened along the way? His plan was perfect! What went wrong? Too scared to get back to his feet to defend himself, he let out a yell. The clones then charged in, each trying to get a clear whack at Mizuki.

---

After a while, the clones disappeared to reveal Mizuki, beaten to a bloody pulp, still twitching every now and then. Naruto put his hands behind his back and chuckled. "I think I went a little overboard." Iruka smiled happily at his blonde student. Hinata giggled softly.

_Naruto-kun…you're amazing!_ She proudly watched her crush as he chuckled to himself in the still night. Her index fingers began to poke against each other as she tried to come up with something to say. Anything. But she couldn't find it in herself to do it. Her exhaustion only made it harder.

"Hey, Naruto, I have something that I want to give to you." Naruto looked at his sensei and nodded. He headed over to him and looked up at his face. "Close your eyes please." Naruto complied, closing his eyes and tried to anticipate what Iruka was going to do next. He felt a small weight lift from his head which was replaced by a slightly heavier one.

"There, you can open your eyes now." Naruto slowly opened his eyes. As his vision slowly came into focus with the dark night, he saw that Iruka was no longer wearing his headband.

"Congratulations, you pass Naruto!" Iruka smiled and ruffled Naruto's already messy blonde hair. Ryu's eyes widened with surprise as well as Hinata's.

_I guess there actually was another way to become a Genin after all. _Before Ryu could congratulate Naruto, he had already leapt onto his sensei.

"Iruka-sensei! Thank you!!!"

"Ah! Stop! That hurts!" Iruka said playfully as he fell back to the ground. Hinata put her hand up to her chin and giggled at Naruto. Not too much later, she frowned.

"Ano, Iruka-sensei, I think I have to go home now, it's getting dark."

"Ah you're right. Well if Naruto would get off of me, I'll take you home." They all laughed.

_It seems that Naruto has proved himself to be able to graduate without passing the test._ The Third took another puff out of his pipe as he released the **Tomegane no jutsu (Telescope Technique)** from his orb. _But, the ninja's path for him and the new generation of Genins has just begun, after all._ Sarutobi looked up at the portraits of the Hokages and smiled. _This is what you wanted, right Yondaime?_ The young man's face in the portrait was engulfed with shadow as the full moon continued to travel across the night sky.

**(a/n: That wraps up the introduction bundle. I know, the third chapter was very similar to the first episode of Naruto, but I thought that it would help start off the story with the new characters and etc. R&R, and thanks for reading!)  
**


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